Two SU-27's intercept B-52 over the Black Sea

[Griz882]

"What the hell is a Reuben James?"

The fellow in the red circle (Reuben James) is selflessly sacrificing his life to save the guy in the green circle (Stevie Decatur, later a famous admiral) from the bearded barbarian in the black circle. History knowledges distributed.

 

[BarryD]

The in the red circle (Reuben James) is selflessly sacrificing his life to save the guy in the green circle (Stevie Decatur, later a famous admiral) from the bearded barbarian in the black circle. History knowledges distributed.

View attachment 31318

I'll be sure to relay those knowledges via B2B to the Captain of HMS Battleaxe.

 

[Griz882]

I'll be sure to relay those knowledges via B2B to the Captain of HMS Battleaxe.


View attachment 31319

Boaty McBoatface, while a stalwart deckhand, was not as brave as James.

 

[Gatordev]

I'll be sure to relay those knowledges via B2B to the Captain of HMS Battleaxe.


View attachment 31319

Honest question...was the RBJ in Red Storm Rising? I know she was in the movie The Hunt for Red October, but she was pretty new (-57) for either book. While I never deployed on the RBJ, a bunch of my squardronmates did. I did get to bounce on her for DLQs one night shortly before I PCS'ed. Kinda cool to say if you're in a group of Clancy nerds. Otherwise, not so much.

 

[BarryD]

Honest question...was the RBJ in Red Storm Rising? I know she was in the movie The Hunt for Red October, but she was pretty new (-57) for either book. While I never deployed on the RBJ, a bunch of my squardronmates did. I did get to bounce on her for DLQs one night shortly before I PCS'ed. Kinda cool to say if you're in a group of Clancy nerds. Otherwise, not so much.

As a Clancy nerd myself, that is cool.

RBJ was in Red Storm, it was the ship that one of the main characters takes over after Knox has to be towed back after an engagement with some kind of Soviet sub I think. Eventually RBJ rendezvous with HMS Battleaxe and their Captain says something to the effect of "What the bloody hell is a Reuben James?" over the B2B to RBJ . . . its been ages since I've read it myself but I think that's what happened.

Now that I'm thinking, I seem to remember the H-60 det embarked on Reuben James having a dipping sonar . . . which would've made it a Foxtrot . . . which wouldn't make sense for a smallboy or the timeline for that matter, right?

 

[Pags]

As a Clancy nerd myself, that is cool.

RBJ was in Red Storm, it was the ship that one of the main characters takes over after Knox has to be towed back after an engagement with some kind of Soviet sub I think. Eventually RBJ rendezvous with HMS Battleaxe and their Captain says something to the effect of "What the bloody hell is a Reuben James?" over the B2B to RBJ . . . its been ages since I've read it myself but I think that's what happened.

Now that I'm thinking, I seem to remember the H-60 det embarked on Reuben James having a dipping sonar . . . which would've made it a Foxtrot . . . which wouldn't make sense for a smallboy or the timeline for that matter, right?

In the book the RBJs helo is the new "ocean hawk" that they end up grabbing due to the needs of the war. I cant remember if it's a prototype or just an very early production.

 

[jmcquate]

You're forgetting who started it with "sounds like you named your ship after my mother-in-law".

 

[IKE]

In the book the RBJs helo is the new "ocean hawk" that they end up grabbing due to the needs of the war. I cant remember if it's a prototype or just an very early production.

We already had an Oceanhawk, and it is sorely missed every time I fly one of its replacements.

NOTE: Unlike the HSC community, I understand that Oceanhawk was just a fun, unofficial nickname for the SH-60F Seahawk.

 

[Griz882]

Damn it! Now I have to go back and read Red Storm Rising…36 years after I finished it!

 

[Jim123]

The Oceanhawk moniker never seemed to catch on and a lot of people just (incorrectly) called the F the Seahawk. Another moniker that didn't catch on was my personal suggestion for the 60S, a beast of burden, Asshawk. I thought that went nicely with the jack-of-all-trades 60R, which should have been the Jackhawk (instead of just another Seahawk). Back to the S, perhaps the moniker Mulehawk would be more fitting, reflecting the questionable husbandry of its procurement history.

Good thing they didn't have a Boaty McBoatface-style suggestion box back when the helo master plan was gestating!

 

[IKE]

... I thought that went nicely with the jack-of-all-trades 60R, which should have been the Jackhawk (instead of just another Seahawk).
...

I got a talking to from CAG Ops (the O-5) on my last deployment for calling, "Strikehawk, ball" a few times during GCAs. Turns out VFA dudes don't always have a good sense of humor.

 

[Gatordev]

RBJ was in Red Storm, it was the ship that one of the main characters takes over after Knox has to be towed back after an engagement with some kind of Soviet sub I think. Eventually RBJ rendezvous with HMS Battleaxe and their Captain says something to the effect of "What the bloody hell is a Reuben James?" over the B2B to RBJ . . . its been ages since I've read it myself but I think that's what happened.

Now that I'm thinking, I seem to remember the H-60 det embarked on Reuben James having a dipping sonar . . . which would've made it a Foxtrot . . . which wouldn't make sense for a smallboy or the timeline for that matter, right?

Ah, okay. I remember it was a Perry-class, but didn't remember the ship. I think I may have to go and reread that book.

I seem to remember Clancy not really getting the -60 right and calling it a different model than what systems he put in it. I know Pags is saying it may have been a prototype, but it seemed like he just combined all the things that were in a Bravo and Fox. I also want to say his understanding of airborne ASW wasn't particularly good, but now I'm just nit-picking.

Good thing they didn't have a Boaty McBoatface-style suggestion box back when the helo master plan was gestating!

I remember towards the end of my JO tour, "they" sent out a request for suggestions for the new identification of the Romeo community (STRIKEMAR, STRIKEMARLIGHT, etc). It seemed "they" ignored any real input. Or maybe those of us in Hawaii had a different sense of humor.

 

[Jim123]

I remember towards the end of my JO tour, "they" sent out a request for suggestions for the new identification of the Romeo community (STRIKEMAR, STRIKEMARLIGHT, etc). It seemed "they" ignored any real input. Or maybe those of us in Hawaii had a different sense of humor.

On the serious side, I'm in the shorter is better* camp and I thought HSL + HS should have been simply HS "sea control" (which was what VS was called when that community finished up) and HC + HS should have remained HC "combat support." Simple, dignified, tells you everything you need to know without fluff. I thought the "maritime strike" thing was embarrassing, strike because of... the 20lb warhead of the mighty Hellfire missile?? Strike because we can uplink bad guys to the hive mind so someone else can blow them up? (Pretty sure you can do that from a Humvee too, if you really had to; the old Hooky Took could but the LAMPS Mk1 crews didn't go around telling everyone they were Strike.) "Multimission" makes me roll my eyes too but everyone has been saying it for so long now there's no point fighting it anymore (like question the point of "sport utility" in SUV).

Clancy's ASW, airborne and everything else, had some hits and misses for sure. The funniest piece of poetic license I think was that the SSQ-56 on that frigate would have found anything (ha ha, sorry all you fig life sailors) but there are quite a few gems in the plot, like the offhand mention of the SOSUS nets having picked up the sub's transit, or for that matter the intel about Soviet shipbuilding that we got from espionage.

 

[Mos]

RSR, one of my all time favorite modern novels, and certainly Clancy's best. First time I read it, I was immersed when reading the Iceland invasion and the dance of the vampires events.

 

[Randy Daytona]

RSR, one of my all time favorite modern novels, and certainly Clancy's best. First time I read it, I was immersed when reading the Iceland invasion and the dance of the vampires events.

I still remember the Russian artillery engaging targets in Iceland - and then their commanding officer sees the massive bulks of the Iowa and New Jersey steaming into view. Uh oh…

I think Griz and Wink will back me up, but as good as Red Storm Rising is, The Third World War by General Sir John Hackett is better. The conversation also reminded me of A Passing Advantage by Mark McGarrity. I remember reading it about 40 years ago - now wondering how well it held up. (The US uses cloud seeding to develop an immense snowstorm immobilizing the Soviet tank armies.)

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